Greeting

The accepted form of greeting in the business environment in Iran is a handshake. If a person's status is lower than that of his interlocutor, he should be the first to extend his hand in greeting.

In the initial stage of a business relationship, it is appropriate to be the initiator of the handshake, that is, to extend your hand first in greeting. In this way you seem to acknowledge the higher position (relative to yours) of your Iranian colleague (although this may not be the case). Such a gesture will be seen as polite behavior on your part.

Men who are friends can hug or exchange a light kiss on the cheek. With foreign colleagues, a rather formal and polite relationship is maintained for quite a long time.

The handshake is necessarily accompanied by a verbal greeting, also common in the Arab world: As-salamu alaikum, which meansPeace be with you. The response should be Wa alaykum as-salam, which means And to you peace.

Bodily contact as well as eye contact between the sexes is not accepted due to Muslim traditions, which are strong in this state. Foreign women should wait for an initiative from a man before extending a hand to greet him. The same applies to foreign men, who should pay attention to the woman's behavior in this situation.

The traditional Iranian greeting in situations of formal communication is the right hand gesture, which the speaker places on his chest in the heart area. At the same time, the speaker tilts his head slightly as if bowing to the other person. With this gesture, the speaker expresses his or her sincere feelings and respect towards the interlocutor. This form of greeting is also accepted in other countries in the region, such as Pakistan, as well as in some Arab countries, such as Iraq.

Introduction

In accordance with Iranian naming traditions, each person has a first name and a last name. It is possible to have two names, one of which is primary and the other is supplementary. Intermediate names or patronymics are not accepted in this culture.

To a certain extent, Iranian names reflect a person's origin both in terms of lineage and in terms of religious traditions. For example, male names Mohammed or Ataollah are associated with Muslim themes, given to children in more conservative families.

Ranks, professional qualifications, academic titles and degrees are important in Iran. These regalia help you determine your partner's status, and their position in a company/organization.

If you don't know or don't have a title, job qualifications, degree, or rank, use the polite forms of address below (assuming English is the language of course): Mr, Ms, Mrs, Miss, followed by the person's last name.

Traditional polite forms of address in Iran are as follows: the word agha, which may be used either before or after the name when speaking to a man, the word hanum, which may also be placed before or after the name when speaking to a woman.

International partners should not take the initiative to use the name. Wait for your Iranian counterpart to suggest that you do

Iranian women are not required to change their maiden name to their husband's surname after marriage, and many do. They can, however, add their husband's surname to their own. Such a double surname is spelled with a slash on the letter.

Iranian women are not obliged to change their maiden name after marriage.

Exchange of Business Cards

In Iran's business practice, business cards are usually exchanged between people in a certain (rather high) position in their companies.

Business cards should contain all the necessary standard information, including name and title, title, company name, current contact information. Be sure to include your professional qualifications, if you have any.

If you have academic degrees or titles, such as master's, PhD, or doctoral degrees, include them on your business card. Your status will certainly be enhanced, as education is highly valued in Iran.

Iran is a multinational and multilingual country. Farsi (also called Persian) is considered the official language. It is spoken by most of the country's population. Although Azerbaijani is the second most widely spoken language, it is still advisable to prepare business cards in Farsi. The other side may be in English or your native language.

There is no special ritual for business cards in business practice in Iran. However, you should remember that business cards, like any other papers or documents, should be passed with the right hand and not the left. When you hand your business card to an Iranian colleague, hold it so that the Farsi text is on the front side.

When your Iranian colleague hands you the business card, take it with both hands and pay attention to the business card, showing respect to your counterpart.

In receiving your business card, do not handle it carelessly, such as putting it aside, writing on it or bending it.

Small Talk: Overview

The small talk is an important part of Iran's business practice, a kind of prelude to negotiations. It is important for Iranian businessmen to get to know their potential partner, because establishing a relationship is at the core of any business. These conversations build a sense of trust between partners, a very important category in the East.

No matter how hasty the small talk is. Trying to skip ahead to business matters may cause your project to end before it has begun. Iranians prefer longer, sometimes veiled, rather than shorter, more direct statements.

Do not openly promote your products (or yourself) to Iranians, even if you or your company has been very successful in a particular field. In this society, it is important to maintain a modest and discreet line of behavior.

It is important to be as polite and courteous as possible when interacting, especially with older people. Iranians tend to treat guests with the utmost respect and are known for their hospitality.

In the beginning of a business relationship, Iranians tend to be formal and reserved, believing that emotional expressions, including ranting and expressive behavior, are a sign of immaturity and lack of experience.

Preferred Topics

Your positive remarks about Iran's rich history and culture will certainly be appreciated by the Iranian partner. Iranians are proud of their heritage and their achievements in the past.

Family issues are traditionally an important topic of conversation in Iranian society. Take a personal interest in your partner, ask about his or her health and affairs, and ask questions about family. Avoid including female family members.

Parallel to this, share information about yourself. Your partner will want to know about your background, education, experience, qualifications, etc.

Travel, including cities and places of interest in Iran to visit.

Taboo Topics

The topic of family is generally popular in Iranian business culture, but you should refrain from asking or talking about the female half of the family - wives, mothers, sisters, and especially daughters.

Do not use language that even remotely emphasizes Western superiority over Eastern and Iranian civilizations in particular.

Do not refer to Iran as Arab and do not call Persian Iranians Arabs, because they are not. There are indeed Arabs living in Iran (about 2% of the total population), one of the many ethnic groups in the country

Religion and anything related to Islam is a rather sensitive topic that is best left out of the conversation. Don't make remotely critical remarks.

Political topics are best avoided altogether, especially discussions of what's happening in the region and the Iranian government.

To avoid bringing up topics popular in Western society, such as women's rights, the LGBT movement, civil liberties, etc.

In particular, do not bring up any of the "LGBT" issues.

Personal Space

In this culture, there is less distance between comfortable conversations than in Central and Northern Europe or the United States, for example.

If your partner in Iran stands too close to you during a conversation, don't take this as insulting or even aggressive behavior. Try not to try to increase this distance by taking a step back, for example, as this will be seen as negative.

If Iranian men stand fairly close to one another during conversations, the distance between speakers seriously increases when a woman appears.

Physical touching between opposite sexes is not common in Iranian society. Only people who are friends or relatives can do so.

In conversations, people of the same sex, equal in status or status, and those close in age maintain eye contact with each other. This is not welcomed (on the contrary, eyes should be lowered) if men and women or people of different age groups are involved in the conversation (in the latter case, younger participants generally refrain from making direct eye contact with older people).

In the case of the latter, it is not advisable to make direct eye contact with older people.

Communication Specifics

Iran is a multinational state and a multi-ethnic state, so the style and manner of communication may differ depending on which ethnicity you are dealing with.

In general, Iranians' speech is not straightforward. On the contrary, they often use figurative language, without naming things by their proper names. The most important aim of communication is not to offend or embarrass the interlocutor, so the latent subtext is significant and can be expressed through non-verbal communication - gestures, facial expressions, intonation, as well as through separate words understood only by the speakers of this culture.

In Iranian society, there is an unconditional focus on human relationships, and it is important to be tactful, avoid strong opinions and generally not express thoughts too linearly. If the speaker does need to express a negative answer, it will appear rather evasive in Iran.

In conversation, avoid asking general questions that require a "yes" or (especially) "no" answer, especially if your question could be interpreted as a request. Your partner will probably agree to do what he is being asked, but it will be something he would not want to do. Instead of an outright refusal, he might politely but evasively agree, or say, "I'll think about it," "I'll see what I can do."

Such hidden meanings are well understood in Iranian society. However, foreigners will have to take the time to understand them and learn to respond to them adequately. So be careful and discreet when speaking with your partner.

If you are sitting at a low table or on the floor at an event, pay attention to the position you assume. Your partner shouldn't see the bottom of your shoes, it's considered a very rude, even insulting gesture, since feet are considered a dirty part of the body.